Carla Abellana
Kapuso actress Carla Abellana is among those who are outraged by the act of a mall security guard who was caught on video hurling a puppy off a footbridge in Quezon City, and she supportive of the move to file charges against him for animal cruelty.
Abellana, who is known to be an animal lover and an advocate against animal cruelty, posted on Instagram a statement from the nongovernment organization Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), along with several photos including that of a man holding a puppy.
The man was identified as a pedestrian who picked up the puppy right after it was thrown off the pedestrian bridge and brought it to the veterinarian for treatment, but it was later pronounced dead.
“Yesterday, a netizen posted about having witnessed a security guard throw a helpless puppy off a pedestrian bridge. PAWS condemns in the strongest possible terms this act of cruelty,” said Abellana.
Abellana said an investigation should be conducted against the security guard, identified as Jojo Malecdem, and whose services has already been banned by the mall.
The actress has long been an advocate of animal rights. She recently expressed support to a relatively new regulation that gives protection to animals from abuse while in use in media and entertainment.
Abellana attended the media conference arranged by PAWS, in which she discussed that animals get hurt even in controlled places such as a TV show or film.
That is why Administrative Circular No. 5, or the Guidelines for the humane use of animals in the media and entertainment, issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry was a welcome development for the animal rights advocacy groups, like the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), of which she is a member. EDV